Archive

Consumers have grown to love the conversational user interface (UI) experience, increasing demand for voice-forward products and services. As a result, Amazon extended Alexa to third-party device makers through the Alexa Voice Service (AVS), which provides the programming interfaces to easily add cloud-based intelligence and hands-free voice control to connected products. Today, we are introducing the AVS Device SDK to further simplify the experience of voice-enabling your product. By making use of the SDK, you can quickly create device software and get to market faster with your Alexa-enabled products.

What Does the SDK Include?

The AVS Device SDK provides C++-based libraries that enable your device to process audio inputs and triggers, establish persistent connections with AVS, and handle all Alexa interactions. The SDK also includes the capability agents that leverage the AVS API to handle core Alexa functionality, including speech recognition and synthesis, and other capabilities such as streaming media, timers and alarms, notifications, weather reports, and thousands of custom skills.

Designed for Commercial Device Makers

We’ve been working with more than 50 commercial device makers during our invite-only developer preview. Here’s what some of them had to say about their experience:

Technicolor is a leader in digital innovation for the media and entertainment industry, working with cable, telco, and satellite operators to bring new experiences into the home. Technicolor is using the AVS Device SDK to bring Alexa functionality to their latest Home Networking Gateway and Extender. “We’ve enjoyed the flexibility of the AVS Device SDK,” said Alan Mottram, SVP Business Development, Strategy & Marketing, Technicolor. “With modular and extensible components, we’ve been able to quickly and easily integrate Alexa into our software platform.”

For Senic, a Berlin-based startup, design and engineering are combined to create amazing smart home experiences. Senic designs and builds beautiful smart home interfaces and systems that are shipped all over the world. “The AVS Device SDK has enabled us to quickly integrate Alexa into COVI, our Speech-Enabled Light & Open Source Smart Home Hub,” said Tobias Eichenwald, CEO and Co-Founder of Senic. “By providing the proven client software, the SDK makes our development time much faster and saved our team a lot of development time. We're really excited to start shipping COVI to our international community of users.”

The SDK is now generally available to all developers and Alexa enthusiasts, with tutorials, documentation, and a sample app to get started.

"We are excited to bring the AVS Device SDK to developers to make it easier to add voice to their products and get to market faster," said Priya Abani, Director, Amazon Alexa. "As we continue to open up new tools and resources to help commercial developers build more Alexa-enabled devices, we're offering customers more choice around where to access Alexa."

Start Developing Today

Get the AVS Device SDK from GitHub to build your prototype using the sample app for Raspberry Pi and set up your development environment.

Visit the AVS Device SDK page on the developer portal to learn more about how you can Alexa-enabled products faster using the SDK.

What Is the Alexa Voice Service?

AVS enables developers to integrate Alexa directly into their products, bringing the convenience of voice control to any connected device. AVS provides developers with a full suite of resources to quickly and easily build Alexa-enabled products, including APIs, hardware development kits, software development kits, and documentation. Through AVS, device makers can add a new intelligent interface to their products and offer customers access to a growing number of Alexa features, smart home integrations, and skills. Just ask, and Alexa will respond instantly.